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Today marks one whole year since I became a wife. I could go on and on about what a crazy and beautiful year this has been. But instead, I thought I would finally share how perfect our Wedding was with you.

When I read Wedding Stories, I am mainly only interested in the photos and the Wedding playlist. That’s just me. So that’s what I will share with you all. Some black and white photos and a glimpse into the best day of my life.

We made our bouquets from grocery store flowers. We dined on wood fired pizza off of mismatched vintage china. We danced until we couldn’t dance anymore. I woke up with one ring on my finger and went to sleep with two. Loving him has been the adventure of a lifetime and our wedding day was nothing short of magic.

(I will share the music in a different post. I’m sure I would break the internet like Kim Kardashian’s greasy ass if I posted all of it in one post.)

I love you forever, Mr. Horschler. I am so proud and privileged to be your wife. Here’s to us.

It’s crazy to me that I spent the better part of the past year pregnant. I was married November 15th 2013, and I found out I was pregnant December 13th. Actually, it was the day after I bought my first brand new car. I had a feeling in my gut that something was up–and at 4 days late I drove my brand new car to Target and bought myself a test. I got home–Adam was in the back yard playing fetch with Olive and I locked myself in our tiny bathroom and peed on a stick. I knew what it was going to say before I even turned it over, and there it was. Pregnant. I ran outside to tell Adam and then I burst into tears. Pregnant.

I was pregnant at Thanksgiving, Christmas…New Years, Valentines Day, Easter, The Fourth of July…and then in August, I wasn’t.

The weeks leading up to Charlotte’s birth were very hard. We had a doctor that told us to “be prepared–she won’t last much longer in there!” at my 36 week check. I was thinned and dilated then and spent the better part of a month being teased with contractions that intensified and then disappeared without a trace. When you’re a first time mom, you really have no idea what to expect–and everyone around you wants to tell you how things are going to go.

We tried everything we could to induce labor naturally. I ate my weight in pineapple, galloped around the house like a horse, did some really embarrassing dance moves to Biggie Smalls, took walks after walks after walks–etc. I was dilating and she wasn’t budging. I pictured her in there with her toes in between my ribs, hanging like a bat.

My due date was August 20th. I was still pregnant August 20th. I had come to terms with the fact that my daughter was going to be as stubborn as her mother and arrive precisely when she intended to arrive. On the 21st I went to Target with the intention to walk her out, but with my track record I thought for sure I would be disappointed again. After about 2 hours of me waddling around the store–I went home. Put my groceries away, pet Olive, laid down.

I had taken a picture of the jars of Prego while I was shopping and was uploading it to Instagram with a groan about how they were mocking me. And a minute after I posted it, my water broke. Well, actually, it burst. And it was green. And I was scared to death.

I called Adam in a panic and started to get everything together to head for the hospital. There was a moment as I stood there–towels in between my legs, with my hospital bag in my hand, that I knew this was it. She was finally coming. I was actually going to be a mother and there was no turning back from here. And that thought delighted me yet terrified me at the same time. What in the hell was I of all people doing having a baby? How in the hell would I be able to pull this off?

Adam came home and helped me into the car and it started to downpour. It was rush hour. It took us an hour to get to the hospital but we eventually made it and I was so relieved.

Once we got to the hospital I was wheeled in, stripped, poked, bled. I was strapped up to a monitor that let me see her little heart beat and the waves of contractions. Our good friends came after work to see us. Step Brothers was playing on the TV.

My intentions from the beginning were to have a natural birth. In fact, I cried when the doctor told me that I would need to augment my labor because I wasn’t progressing quickly enough and because of the meconium in my amniotic fluid, Charlie was at a high risk for infection and we needed to get her out. So they hooked up that extra bag to my IV and the contractions that I was able to breathe through before were now so fierce and close together that I thought I would surely die before I ever got to see my daughter’s face. I was at a 7 when I opted for the epidural–and it was the best thing I could have done. The relief was quick and so appreciated by my tired, shaking, defeated body.

I slept, progressed, and 18 hours after my water broke, I was ready to push. We let our family know to make their way to the hospital. And for three full hours, my husband counted every push–held an oxygen mask over my face and held my hand with the other–spoon-fed me ice chips. Reassured me after the nurse kept telling us that her heart rate was too fast and that she was in distress. Held my hand when they kept telling us the worst case scenario. Dried my tears when I felt weakness consume me and felt like my body was failing me and my daughter.

With minutes to spare–I opted to try the vacuum to get her out. I was sobbing, exhausted, terrified–Three big pushes–I was squeezing Adam’s hand so hard that I couldn’t feel it anymore–the room had more people now, and in my delirium, I knew this was it. “She’s right here, Beck, she’s coming” Adam choked out with tears in his eyes. Her head first, then her shoulders–then the rest of her. It was a few minutes before they stimulated her to cry because they didn’t want her to aspirate the meconium. Adam watched as they cleaned her and suctioned her out–and then that sweet beautiful baby wailed like the best of them and they plopped her down on my chest. She latched. And I cried like I have never cried before. I made this. There was a human being on my chest that I grew in my body for 9 months and she was ours. She was our daughter. She was 8 pounds, 13 oz, 20 inches. She was Charlotte and she was here and she was perfect. A dimple, a full head of hair. It was love at first sight.

Nothing can prepare you for that moment. Absolutely, positively nothing. Becoming a mother is like giving birth to a piece of your own heart. Wailing and tender and fragile. It was the single most gut-wrenchingly painful, exhausting, terrifying, joyous and beautiful day of my life. I would do it 10 fold if I got a Charlie every time.

I have learned so much in these past seven weeks. Not only about motherhood but about myself. I never considered myself a brave person. In fact, I spent the majority of my youth reveling in my weakness. That day, August 22nd 2014, in room 109, I became your mama, Charlie girl. And you, my sweetest love, made me brave. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Hello, friends.
I got to spend some time visiting my parents home in Northern Wisconsin this past weekend. There’s something about walking through the Woods this time of year that takes your breath away. Literally, guys. I’m out of shape.

In all seriousness, this is my absolute favorite time of year. I feel so inspired by the changing colors and crisp air that I just want to bake and create and listen to anything with a harmonica in it.

I finished this Mix before we left and honestly, it turned out a lot more melancholy than I originally intended but somehow that’s sort of perfect. It’s the time of year for change–Of death and the inevitable rebirth come spring time. I feel so grateful to be able to experience it year after year.

Many things have happened since the last time I remembered that I had a blog. On August 22nd, I gave birth to the most beautiful little girl I have ever laid eyes on. Charlotte Jo, Charlie for short. Seriously, I have used the Heart Eyes Emoji way too often in the past 5 weeks…and I ain’t even mad about it! Maternity leave, however, has been a lot of sitting around in between feeding my boob goblin. And maybe I should do something productive (is this considered productive?) besides binge watch ‘The Killing’ on Netflix and crying while counting my stretch marks. Ok, that last part is a lie. I have too many to count. Ok, that’s a lie too. I can count them just fine…

Although this blog has been primarily a dumping ground for food that I made and decided to take pictures of and songs I feel like everyone should listen to because I said so…I plan on sharing more aspects of my life here. I am trudging through this new life as a mama and would love nothing more than to share my misadventures with someone who may be feeling the same as me. But never fear, I still plan on sharing recipes and music. Just be warned that you may scroll through your feed and see a photo of my beautiful child and your ovaries just might explode.

I mean, seriously. She’s killing it.

And as you’ve probably heard (and everyone loved to tell me while I was pregnant…), having a newborn baby is tiring. Because, duh.

Enter: Coffee. Forever and ever. Amen.

Today is National Coffee Day. And I want to shout it from the rooftops. But, like, I’m a mom now so I can’t be that irresponsible. So, coffee, every word in every love song would still not be enough to let you know how I feel about you.

I decided to make a homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup. And I have decided to share it with you. You can thank me later (And I expect to be thanked, dammit!)

Add water and sugar to a small saucepan, heat on low and stir to dissolve sugar completely. Once sugar is dissolved, whisk in pumpkin puree and spices. Simmer on low for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and allow syrup to cool. Strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth and store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.

I made this with the intent of using it for iced coffee, but I could see it being great on pancakes, drizzled over apple slices, or whatever else floats your pumpkin-flavored boat.

So, my favorite thing to do is promise you more frequent posts. So, that.

I also have a Fall Mix that I am too picky to post just yet–but it’s pretty fantastic if I do say so myself. And I do. Say so. So.

Hello. Is this thing on? Yeah? Despite popular opinion and all the cobwebs around these parts, I am not dead. Actually, a lot of things have happened since we last crossed paths. I finished Breaking Bad, mastered the art of French macarons (or atleast I think I have…), started a little baking business making cake balls for some fine folks…oh, and I GOT MARRIED AND PREGNANT. NBD, y’all. So, since you’ve missed my first 27 weeks of pregnancy…I thought I would catch you up on what’s been going on. You’re so welcome.

How I felt when I found out I was pregnant:

When my Doctor told me I had an ideal uterus for carrying a baby:

Women telling me about their vaginal tears during labor:

When my husband opens a beer while we’re eating dinner:

When I successfully make it through the Starbucks Drive-Thru without vomiting from the smell of coffee:

When people are staring at me while I’m eating donuts in my car:

Looking for a bathroom in a busy Department Store after pee-sneezing:

Waking up in the morning:

When my doctor told me I should eat less and excercise more:

Sex:

How I feel when someone tells me “You look really pregnant today!”:

Trying to do Kegels:

Putting on clothes in the morning:

Anything on TV, pretty much. (Commercials included):

Taking off my bra for the day:

“If you do ____________ your baby will be born with _____________!”:

All in all, pregnancy has been a breeze. And we are so unbelievably excited to have a daughter in a few short months! Dang!

Anyways, I will be back to share some details about our Wedding Day/Honeymoon. They were magic!

Sorry for being a stranger around these parts. My life has been wrapped around our upcoming wedding. Here’s just a few photos from our wedding shower, cooking soup on a crisp fall day, Corn Fest, a tattoo that took over two years for me to get finished and a hand painted apple wall for my dining room. Things are starting to really feel real, thanks for bearing with me.